A series of short essays and recaps inspired by a newsletter.
A Review of My Class with Honey Copy
I wrote 7 pieces for this class, and they’re all filled with my over-deliberated thoughts, so I think you should read them.
Why I Can’t Tell People About the Things I Want to Do
Doing the Work Will Never Go to Waste
Overworking is the Antithesis of Productivity
Rivers Flow Freely, When the Banks are Seen Clearly, Rapids Run Fiercely!
A Note for My Favorite Thought Leader: David Perell
There’s something David talks about, which is writing from abundance. This is the principle of building a system of inspiration for yourself to write from and increasing the quality of the information you consume. I hope to put that into practice and increase it over time. Good ideas, sound and true wisdom, and the words that depict accurately the essence of life are timeless.
How to Write Good
My short, personal, no-nonsense guide on how to write good.
Step #1 (for clients): Research like crazy
If you don’t research, you’ll have no clue what you’re talking about. If you have no clue what you’re talking about, people are gonna notice. Especially ones who are dedicated to their niche. Also, you’ll just sound like an idiot.
Plus, you’ll have no references to source later. It’s a pain in the butt to have to backtrack and find proof to back up your talk.
Source first, write second.
Step #1 (for personal pieces AND clients): Read and write things you like
Whenever I dive into a piece that I’m writing for myself, I write for myself. When I’m writing for someone else, I ask myself questions:
“Would this title get me to click on it if I saw it?”
If the topic doesn’t interest me, I ask, “If I were X customer profile, this title get me to click on it if I saw it?”
Sometimes, the brand doesn’t mix with your personal preferences. Such is the life of a professional. This is where the phrase “putting yourself in someone else’s shoes” really, really is the way to go.
Of course, using this method is no match for the hard data birthed from testing, but it’s a start.
There are universal likable things, and also niche likable things, that are wins across the board (usually), and they are:
-Clarity
-Consistency
-Creativity with a dash of wit
Chances are, if you pick apart the things you enjoy reading, you’ll find those elements.
Step #2: Install Grammarly
No, I’m not getting paid to write this. Yes, it’s my honest option.
As a writer, I can easily say that Grammarly is my right-hand man.
He catches all of my spelling errors, points out when my sentences read like shit (even when I don’t want him to), calls me out on my verb-tense mistakes– all of it.
And all before anyone else sees it.
Not having to worry about being the writer AND grammatic editor is just a weight off of my mind. I can rabidly type things out when inspiration hits and, hey… who’s gonna know? (they’re not gonna know.)
Step #3: Write like crazy
Let your fingers fly! Take all of this hard-earned knowledge you’ve stuffed into your brain and release it onto the paper. Write, write, write until you can’t write anymore. Take a break. Write again, and revise later. But don’t skip the revision step, it’s vital and saves whoever’s editing for you a lot- a LOT of time (this reminder is pointed at myself, in case you were wondering).
Writing it all out without hesitation is the way…unless you’re like me and have a tick about getting things as close to the way I want them on the first go. Most are champions of the messy rough draft (I’m slowly getting there) but I’m one of those people who is satisfied by the very process of writing cohesively so I take plenty of pauses and consider what I want to write next. But of course, in the end, I still end up revising. Sometimes a lot.
Whichever method works, just write it!
What is my approach to writing?
It really depends on what I’m writing. I approach blog posts very differently than emails.
For me, emails are meant to be eye-catching, punchy, and to the point. There’s usually a strong CTA involved throughout, and the first one is the subject line. The preview enriches. The rest of the email should read like candy. It can’t be too long because inboxes are stuffed with more than the average joe can handle–and if it is long, it better be extra interesting and engaging.
But since I’m proudly intruding into the reader’s inbox, It’s extra important for me to give some sort of reward to the reader–whether that’s valuable information broken into bite-sized pieces, a beautiful aesthetic, or a positive feeling after the email is closed.
Honey Copy is my inspiration. He combines aesthetics with a story that makes you feel something in his newsletters. It makes me want to read his pieces every time.
David Perell is my second inspiration. He purely takes the information route. I always feel slightly more knowledgeable after closing out his emails.
Now blog posts, on the other hand, are another beast entirely. They are usually given a structure to follow–thanks to our SEO-crazed world–and parameters. Unless it’s a thought piece that you can run wild with, but those don’t get you paid.
My number one rule is: information packed. That’s the whole reason SEO blogs exist. It’s to educate readers, primarily on a product, usually. But not always. To give people answers to questions they have would be more accurate.
It’s more like a chest filled with gold, waiting to be opened once the treasure hunter goes looking. There’s not much you can do title-wise except make sure it’s SEO friendly and wait for the fish to bite. Maybe promote it on a few different mediums. But if it solves a problem or becomes a resource for your target audience well enough, the readers will come.
An Email for Your Entertainment
Subject: Want to write better?
Preview: You’re not the only one…
This is a common theme, in both the professional and aspiring author worlds. “How can I write better?”
I’m certainly no stranger to this, and anyone starting out isn’t either.
When I was around toddler age, my mom showed me how to draw letters for the first time. I tried so hard to copy her elegant movements and produce the product I wanted. When I inevitably couldn’t succeed, I threw down my pencil and exclaimed in frustration, “Why doesn’t mine look like yours?!”
My mom thought it was endlessly amusing that I felt entitled to match a work produced by years of mastery on my first try.
And it was humorous.
…did you catch that?
Why do we feel entitled to create works that are on par with ones that took years of mastery?
You know, when you see a TikTok of someone creating masterful art, or read a novel that just tickles your inspiration muscle, and you think, Man, I really want to make that. Today.
(Just so everyone’s clear, I’m insanely guilty of this.)
Now, I started writing stories in my early teens. Was that writing good? In my opinion, not so much. In others’ opinions, yes? (It really depended on the person.) But over the course of several years, I practiced. It was technically accidental practice – something I did for fun and not seriously. However, those hours added up, and, eventually when I become serious, helped build the foundation for where I stand now – better than I was then.
I think there’s a healthy amount of entitlement we should all have – that one day, once we put in the hours, we should be able to reach the level that we want to.
So keep working. Keep building those skills. “Practice” (play) the hours away. Reach your goals.
You got this.
See you next time,
Emily
P.S. Please subscribe to my future newsletter. It hasn’t been created yet, but it will one day, and boy will it really be something. Thank you in advance.
Why adding memes to my emails is my new obsession
Lately, for a client, I’ve been writing a lot of emails. Before I joined the ranks, they were already using GIFs in their emails. Before writing for them, I was nervous to try something that was in my mind so daring. I don’t know why I saw them that way. I love memes. I like funny things. So why wouldn’t anyone else who’s opening up those emails?
The more I’ve written, the more I’ve grown fond of them. Now I’ve gone as far as to make my own memes to add in.
Why?
- It’s human
- It adds a flavor of humor
- Images are worth a thousand words
- Great ice breaker
- Makes an email more skim-worthy
Obviously, there are limits and still a professional line to be maintained. It’s one thing that once it’s gone overboard, it’s too cringy to be saved.
A dash of humor is all that’s needed. Just a dash.
See? It works!
What is wit?
I read an article once that talked about how wit is really just the simple connection between two seemingly unrelated objects. If you can be the one to point out the connection, people will laugh, like you more, and think you’re smart.
Not only that, it’s something that also can be practiced. You can actively work to become wittier.
What a life hack!
Now, one of the millions of reasons I love writing so much is that I can sit for ten minutes and think up something funny, and a) the conversation hasn’t moved on yet, b) no one’s seeing me sitting here with a dumb look on my face, and c) I can tailor it to have the perfect delivery.
Is that cheating? Eh. Another blessing of preferring the written word is, that because you can take the time to craft and perfect it, it has the capability of aging like a fine wine. And then that wine reaches an ageless state, becoming timeless. It then goes on to be read (hopefully) by new individuals who laugh a little when they read it.
Emily Dietz 
Leave a comment